Metropolis remake planned

The silent sci-fi classic is getting a makeover…

We’re watching, producers of America. You think you could sneak this one by us when our eyes were full of Christmas trinkets? Nice try!

If you thought there were one or two films that were really safe against Mr Remake’s Magic Bucket, think again. Yes, Metropolis has been bought and now it’s sitting in a shed, waiting for several fresh coats of paint. Metropolis. We’re not kidding. What, too silent for you?

But the movie’s classic status isn’t turning away producer Thomas Schuehly – who last helped to bring us Alexander – who has decided that Fritz Lang’s work is crying out for a little update. "With the overwhelming role technology plays in our daily lives, the growing gap between rich and poor, including the gradual elimination of the middle class, the story of Metropolis is a frightening reflection of our society that takes place in an all too possible not too distant future," he blabbed to Variety.

Apparently he’s hunting for a big name director to work on the project, which will update the tale, set in 2026 of a massive art deco city in which the workers toil for the benefit of planners and thinkers up above. It’s class metaphor ago go!

With no current script – we doubt they could adapt the original’s title cards – it won’t be ready for a while, so there’s still time for them to come to their senses.